Relay interlock



Feb. 6, 1951 G. FQwElNRx-:lcl-l RELAY INTERLOCK Filed March 4, 1948 Patented Feb. 6, 1951 RELAY INTERLOCK George F; Weinreieh, Cary, Ill., assigner to C. P. Clare &, Company, Chicago,v Ill., a corporation of Illinoisy` Application Marchdi', 1948, Serial No. 12,949

4 Claims., (Cl. 175,-.-337) The presentinvention relates toelectric relays and is particularly concerned with improved means for causing two relays, in` addition to operating electricy contacts, to. control the relays of one another mechanically.

In accordance with my invention, the two re lays may be arranged so that when both relaysvare energizedfthey will attract their armatures and thereafter the rst relay de-energized will prevent the armatureof 'the other relay from dropping back until the rst relay is energized again.

It is the principal purpose of my invention to provide arelay interlock of the character described which exerts no biasing influenceA on the armature in either position of the armature. My invention contemplates a-device of this character wherein the armature of two adjacent relays are provided with arms extendingV generally parallel to each other, the arms being positioned on opposite sides of a block which has a passage for a freely movable lock means, the arms-having depressions therein cooperating with `the interlock means to prevent the depressions onthe two arms from moving out of alignment with the interlock at the same time.

It is a furtherobject of my invention to provide an interlock device including arms movable with the armature of'two adjacent relays` with interlock means which are relatively independent of the inaccuracies in spacing or mounting that are found in practice whereby they may be fitted to a particular installation at the time they are installed.

The nature and advantages of my invention will appear more fully from the following description and accompanying drawings` illustrating a preferredform of the invention. -It should be.

understood, however, that the drawings and description are illustrative only andnshould not be considered as limiting the invention except insofar as itis limited by the claims.

In thedrawings: v

Figure 1 is a plan view of two relays interlocked in accordance with my invention; y

Figure 2 is a plan sectional view through the interlocking mechanism; l

Figure 3 is a front face view of the relay and the interlocking mechanism; Figure 4 is a sectional `View .taken on the line 4 4 of Figure l; f'

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of `a portion of one of the interlocked bars showing l,ajslightly moditied forrn, thereof,

stallation wherein a mounting bracket I0 mounts'-v two electromagnets I I and I2 which have pivotedl armatures I3 and I4 respectively. The armature I3 has an arm I5 thereon which is adapted to opcrate a bank IIof electrical contacts. The arma,- ture I4 has an arm I6 for operating a bank I8 of electrical contacts.

It is often times desirable in relay installations to have some interlocking Vmeans between the relays so that when the armature of either relay is in a certain position,l it prevents the armatureiof the other relay from moving. My invention lies in the provision of a simple and effective means for interlocking the armatures of the two relays. I provide an arm I9 on the armature I3 and an arm 2) on the armature i4. These arms are of nonmagnetic material, and substantially devoid of any spring characteristics. The arms I9 and 20 extend toward the mounting bar IB and substantially in parallel planes. A block ZI on the frame I8 has a portion 22 extending between the ends of the arms I9 and 26. The block portion 22 has a passage 23 through it in a direction transverse to the arms.l The arm I9 has a depression 24 therein and the arm 2li has a depression 25 therein. The depressions face the block portion 22 and are so positioned as to align with the passage 23- when the armature is in its at tracted position. An interlocking means is transversely movable inthe passage 23. This interlocking means, as shown. comprises two balls 2t. rThe overall dimension of the two balls combined is greater than the length of the passage 23 by approximately the depth of one of the depressions 2li-25. It is obvious that when one of the desA pressions 22.--35 is aligned with the passage 23. the balls 26 can move in a direction to locate one of them in the depressions, thus allowing the opposite arm to move its depression out of alignment with the passage The bali nearest the opposite arm is permitted to project beyond the portion 22 a few thousandths of an inch to form a small anti-friction guide for the arm.

In Figure 2 the .parts are shown with the armature IA attracted by its electromag-net I2 so that the armatures are not attracted by their electromagnets.

The depressions 24 and 25 as shown are elongated lengthwise of the arms I9 and 20. This is particularly important in taking care of Variations in mounting and other variable conditions since it makes it possible to have the armature to mounting frame distance vary over a wide range without interfering with the interlock mechanism. It is some times found necessary also to bend the arms I9 and 20 up or down in order properly to align them with the passage 23. Since the material of the arms is such that it can be bent readily, the installer of the apparatus can readily take care of this adjustment at the time of installation.

The free ends of the arms I9 and 20 are mounted in position against the sides of the block portion 22 by a keeper 21 which is in the form of a channel strip. It is secured by a screw 28 to the block 2i. Preferably it is of a nonmagnetic but somewhat resilient material so that it yieldingly presses the arms inward. Small projections 29 and 39 are pressed in from the sides of the channel 2l to bear on the arms I9 and 29.

In some instances it is desirable to have the relay that is energized first, attract its armature to set up a signal circuit and then open the signal circuit while remaining locked up. This is of course, provided for in the bank of spring contacts. In order to adapt the interlock mechanism to this action, the bar on the armature which sets up the signal circuit is provided with a wider slot or depression 24 as shown in Figure 6. With this wider depression, the armature I3 when attracted, can pull up far enough to set up thesignal circuit and then, when the relay is deenergized, drop back to break the signal circuit with the slot 24' still in alignment with the inm terlocking means 26. The armature will therefore remain latched up by the interlock means until the other armature is attracted to bring the arm 2U into position to align its depression 25 with the interlock means 26.

It is believed that the nature and advantages of my invention will be clear from the foregoing description. Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. An attachment for a pair of electro-magnets each having an armature, comprising an arm mounted on each armature, the arms having portions adjacent to their free ends arranged side by side in spaced relation, a stationary block between said portions said portions being supported by their respective arms and the armatures for pivotal swinging movement in substantially .par-

, allel planes across the adjacent faces of said block,

said block having a transverse passage between said portions, ball means in the passage of greater overall length than the distance between the adjacent arm portions, said arm portions having seats therein for the ball means, the seats comprising grooves in the side faces of the arms elongated lengthwise of the arms.

`2.` An attachment for a pair of electro-magnets each having an armature, comprising an arm mounted on each armature, the arms having portions adjacent to their free ends arranged side by side in spaced relation, a stationary block between said portions, said block having a transverse passage between said portions, ball means in the passage of greater overall length than the distance between the adjacent arm portions, said arm portions having seats therein for the ball means, the seats comprising grooves in the side faces of the arms elongated lengthwise of the arms, one of said grooves being substantially wider than the ball portion seated therein providing limited movement of the arm while interlocked.

3. An attachment for a pair of electromagnets each having a pivoted armature comprising, adjustable parallel arms made from bendable, nonmagnetic material, said arms being fixedly at- -tached to said armatures at one end to swing with the armatures, anl interlocking means provided at the opposite end of said arms, said interlocking means composed of a block spacing said arms apart and having a transverse slot and balls in said slot engaging and locking one of the said arms by means of recesses in said arms, one of said recesses being wider than the other and each recess being shaped as a channel extending lengthwise of the arrn in each of said arms, and said particularly shaped recesses providing an interlocking means for said arms to prevent botharms from rotating about their pivot points from a position where the arm recess is aligned with the slot in the block at the same time. A,

4. An attachment for a pair of electromagnets each vhaving a pivoted armature comprising, ad-

justable parallel arms made from bendable, no nmagnetic material, said arms being fixedy attached to said'armatures at one end to swingv with the armatures, an interlocking means provided at the opposite end of said arms, said interlocking means composed of a block spacing said arms apart and having a transverse slot and balls in said slot engaging and locking one of the said arms by means of recesses in said arms, one of said recesses being `wider than the other and each recess being shaped as a channel extending lengthwise of the arm in each of said arms, said particularly shaped recesses providing an interlocking means for said arms to prevent both arms;

from simultaneously rotating about their pivot points away from the position where their recesses align with the slot in the block, and a resilient channel shaped member fixed to the said block springingly urging said arms against said spacing block while said arms move in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis-of said slot in `said spacing block. y f

GEORGE F. WEINREICH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED, STATES PATENTS Date l 

